We ask because it turns out the Cambridges got not just one spanking new modern kitchen (a 350-square-foot beauty) in their Kensington Palace digs, but a second, more private family kitchen for…well, what?

Midnight snacks? Early breakfasts?

They're royals, they have a staff, they have duties — do they really have time to cook? And why would they want to? Isn't having other people work a hot stove for you one of the perks of being rich and royal?

At least they and not taxpayers paid for the second kitchen, as palace pooh-bahs were quick to tell us.

Britain is buzzing about the total bill for the renovation of the 20-room apartment: It's jumped to more than $7 million, way more than expected. The big, main kitchen alone cost more than $270,000, according to figures released Wednesday. Some repairs at the Queen's Buckingham Palace even had to be delayed so the KP project could be finished.

How come? Kensington Palace dates back to the 17th century, and the four-story Apartment 1A hadn't been touched since the 1960s. Used mostly for offices, it had to be nearly gutted due to a large amount of asbestos.

The annual media briefing on the overall royal budget provokes predictable anti-monarchy moaning about the high cost of supporting the royal family; now, even the popular Cambridges are included in the grumbling.